Among Others
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Raised by a half-mad mother who dabbled in magic, Morwenna Phelps found refuge in two worlds. As a child growing up in Wales, she played among the spirits who made their homes in industrial ruins. But her mind found freedom and promise in the science fiction novels that were … More »
Raised by a half-mad mother who dabbled in magic, Morwenna Phelps found refuge in two worlds. As a child growing up in Wales, she played among the spirits who made their homes in industrial ruins. But her mind found freedom and promise in the science fiction novels that were her closests companions. Then her mother tried to bend the spirits to dark ends, and Mori was forced to confront her in a magical battle that left her crippled--and her twin sister dead.
McMillan Palgrave
Winner of the 2011 Nebula Award for Best Novel
Winner of the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Novel
Startling, unusual, and yet irresistably readable, Among Others is at once the compelling story of a young woman struggling to escape a troubled childhood, a brilliant diary of first encounters with the great novels of modern fantasy and SF, and a spellbinding tale of escape from ancient enchantment.
Raised by a half-mad mother who dabbled in magic, Morwenna Phelps found refuge in two worlds. As a child growing up in Wales, she played among the spirits who made their homes in industrial ruins. But her mind found freedom and promise in the science fiction novels that were her closest companions. Then her mother tried to bend the spirits to dark ends, and Mori was forced to confront her in a magical battle that left her crippled--and her twin sister dead.
Fleeing to her father whom she barely knew, Mori was sent to boarding school in England–a place all but devoid of true magic. There, outcast and alone, she tempted fate by doing magic herself, in an attempt to find a circle of like-minded friends. But her magic also drew the attention of her mother, bringing about a reckoning that could no longer be put off…
Combining elements of autobiography with flights of imagination in the manner of novels like Jonathan Lethem’s The Fortress of Solitude, this is potentially a breakout book for an author whose genius has already been hailed by peers like Kelly Link, Sarah Weinman, and Ursula K. Le Guin.
Baker
& Taylor
Seeking refuge in fantasy novel worlds throughout a youth under the shadow of a dubiously sane half-brother who dabbled in magic, Mori Phelps is forced to confront her mother in a tragic battle and gains unwanted attention when she attempts to perform spells herself.
Seeking refuge in fantasy novel worlds throughout a youth under the shadow of a dubiously sane half-brother who dabbled in magic, Mori Phelps is forced to confront her mother in a tragic battle and gains unwanted attention when she attempts to perform spells herself. By the World Fantasy Award-winning author of
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... people think there are dangerous things that can kill you, and everything else is safe. That's just not the way it works.
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Add a Commentnearly outside of genre... well-written, charming without being too dear...most of us can surely relate to literature being a lifesaver through difficult times (ie; childhood!)
I am happy to have discovered this wonderful author! I loved this book that is homage to science fiction and fantasy literature and as well as those who read it. It is a perfect blend of fantasy and reality! One of the things I find brilliant about it is that throughout the time I was reading it, I was constantly questioning if perhaps everything, the incident, the sister, the mother, the Faeries, the magic were real or just Mori’s imagination. I have my opinion but I don't want to give any spoilers! I also liked the her take on Magic as well as her depiction of the faeries as wild feral beings.
Beautifully written, realistic fantasy about a teen-aged girl imbued with magic who talks with fairies, struggles against her evil-witch mother, endures the trials of assimilating into a new, private, girls, boarding school, and finds salvation in the world of books. Jo Walton balances the coming-of-age of a young woman with the mystical world of fairies in Wales and England. She weaves in a wealth of books, especially science fiction in delightfully compelling ways. And her use of libraries and librarians is exemplary! Where else will you find the quote, "Interlibrary Loans are a wonder of the world and a glory of civilization."?
Copley
Do you love coming-of-age stories? Do you like books with a little magic in them? Do you enjoy reading about boarding school life? Do you love books written as diary entries where you learn about a character’s innermost thoughts and lives? Do you like books full of literary references, from science fiction and fantasy to historical fiction? Well, if you nodded in agreement to any or all of these questions, then Jo Walton’s Among Others is the book for you. Here, too, is a Pinterest of the books mentioned in the book: http://pinterest.com/tinyampersand/the-books-of-among-others/
If you like Science Fiction then you will probably like the constant references to books, authors, and plot lines. For the most part it's a decent story with a good main character and a good ending. At times though it felt like it wasn't really going anywhere.
Unique and interesting. I will look for more of her books.
Its scooping the 2012 book awards so probably worth a try even though reviews here are mixed.
Much of this story is inferred, which was irritating at times - I kept coming back to this one. Enjoyed the discussion of older SF. Not sure why it was set in the late seventies - to limit the books available? Recommended by the Book-a-Day calendar.
I loved how this story was so very ordinary, and yet so suffused with magic. I generally don't love modern fantasy, but this one was lovely.